Apple is moving forward with its requirement that app developers include a privacy label with new app submissions, beginning December 8.
Apple has established itself as the smartphone platform of choice for privacy conscious consumers. Many of its recent moves have angered Facebook and the advertising industry, specifically because they focus on protecting user privacy instead of making it easy for advertisers to track users.
The latest move is to require developers to include a privacy label, much like packaged food’s nutrition label, clearly outlining what impact the app will have on a user’s privacy.
On each app’s product page, users can learn about some of the data types the app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. You’ll need to provide information about your app’s privacy practices, including the practices of third-party partners whose code you integrate into your app, in App Store Connect. This information will be required to submit new apps and app updates to the App Store starting December 8, 2020.
This is good news for privacy conscious users and will help them make informed decisions about what apps they choose to install.
Apple and Epic may be fighting it out in court, but it appears a path has been cleared for Fortnite to return to iOS devices.
The BBC has discovered the popular game will make its way back to iOS devices via a version of Nvidia’s GeForce, a cloud gaming service that will run in the iOS version of Safari. Because the service will be browser-based, and not installed via the App Store, Apple will not be able to charge its usual fee.
Finding a way to get Fortnite back on iOS devices is likely a big priority for Epic. As the BBC points out, 116 million Fortnite players played on iOS. Even worse for the company, 76 million of those players only played on iOS.
The company had previously tried to get the court to grant an injunction preventing Apple from removing Fortnite from the App Store. A judge sided with Apple however, and pointed out the hypocrisy of Epic’s argument.
The judge made the point that Epic cannot claim Apple is hurting its business by removing Fortnite from the App Store, when it was Epic’s decision to break the App Store rules that caused harm to itself. Had Epic continued paying the App Store fees while challenging Apple in court, the company would have been reimbursed those fees if it won its case, essentially costing it nothing to continue with the status quo while the courts decided. Instead, Epic chose the more drastic route of breaking the App Store’s rules and forcing Apple’s response.
The end result has been up to 76 million users potentially cut off from their favorite game, and Epic cut off from a substantial source of income. As a result, Nvidia’s solution will likely be a welcome option for company and customers alike.
Google is looking to stop companies from circumventing its normal 30% Google Play Store fees.
Like the Apple App Store, the Google Play store imposes a 30% fee on all sales through the store. Until now, however, companies could circumvent Google’s fees, a practice Google is now looking to end.
One key area where Google differs from Apple, however, is that Google plans to make it easier to use third-party app stores. Sameer Samat, Vice President, Product Management, highlights what Google is planning:
We will be making changes in Android 12 (next year’s Android release) to make it even easier for people to use other app stores on their devices while being careful not to compromise the safety measures Android has in place. We are designing all this now and look forward to sharing more in the future!
At the same time, Google is giving companies one year to make the necessary changes to be compliant with Google’s policies:
Again, this isn’t new. This has always been the intention of this long standing policy and this clarification will not affect the vast majority of developers with apps on Google Play. Less than 3% of developers with apps on Play sold digital goods over the last 12 months, and of this 3%, the vast majority (nearly 97%) already use Google Play’s billing. But for those who already have an app on Google Play that requires technical work to integrate our billing system, we do not want to unduly disrupt their roadmaps and are giving a year (until September 30, 2021) to complete any needed updates. And of course we will require Google’s apps that do not already use Google Play’s billing system to make the necessary updates as well.
Google’s plans raise the stakes even more for the legal case Epic has brought against both Apple and Google, claiming their fees are unfair and anticompetitive.
Apple has released figures about the iOS App Store and revealed it has created 300,000 new jobs since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Apple has been under fire for how it operates and manages its App Store. In particular, it is locked in a legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic over the fees it charges. It’s little wonder that Apple is eager to prove the App’s Store’s value.
“The iOS app economy has created nearly 300,000 new jobs since April 2019, helping to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages even as COVID-19 continues to create immense challenges and uncertainty for communities across the country,” reads Apple’s blog post. “Developers nationwide — including companies such as Caribu, H‑E‑B, and Shine — have adapted their businesses to make sure they can keep supporting their customers during a challenging time.
“Since the App Store launched in 2008, the iOS app economy has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. Despite the pandemic, the App Store continues to provide economic opportunities for entrepreneurs of all sizes, helping anyone with an idea reach customers around the world and take advantage of new opportunities that would never be possible without it. The App Store ecosystem now supports more than 2.1 million US jobs across all 50 states — an increase of 15 percent since last year — as part of the 2.7 million jobs Apple supports across the country.“
“Just 20 years ago the one really big player was Microsoft.,” says former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “Microsoft has now been joined by four other very large companies each of which is run cleverly but in a different way. We benefit from that brutal competition. The reason it’ll be different in 20 years is because artificial intelligence will create a whole bunch of new platform winners.”
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, who is launching a new podcast today, discusses how AI will spawn a whole new batch of tech platform winners:
AI Will Create a Bunch Of New Platform Winners
Just 20 years ago the one really big player was Microsoft. Microsoft has now been joined by four other very large companies each of which is run cleverly but in a different way. They have different ways in which they win and they lose. We benefit from that brutal competition. Look at what you have in a mobile phone. The competition between Android andIOS and Apple phones and the Android ecosystem has brought a supercomputer into your pocket. That’s going to continue.
The reason it’ll be different in 20 years is because artificial intelligence will create a whole bunch of new platform winners. Remember that the way this works is the US establishes global platforms that everyone else uses. We are forgetting that it is US leadership at the platform level, whether it’s Google or Apple or what have you, that has brought us to this point where we have multi-trillion-dollar corporations that are leading the market.
Be Careful About Breaking Up The App Store Model
I don’t know enough about the Epic Games/Apple dispute because I left the board a decade ago. However, the important thing about the app stores is that they provide some level of security, branding, and protection for the user. In China, for example, Google does not have a single app store because of regulatory issues. So there has always been issues of is the app that you’re using certified and so forth.
I would be careful about breaking up the app store model as it does provide some security and protection. We can quibble about how they’re managed but the important thing is when you use an app store you can rely that what’s on it is represented to be what it really is. Just think of all those viruses that you are not getting as a result of the app store.
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt: AI Will Create a Bunch Of New Platform Winners
A judge has rendered a split decision in the Apple/Epic court case, handing both sides an early victory.
Things came to a head when Epic tried to bypass Google and Apple’s in-app purchasing rules and both companies responded by removing Fortnite from their app stores. It seemed evident that Epic had pushed the issue in an effort to get banned from the app stores and orchestrate a showdown in court. Apple responded by threatening to shut down Epic’s developer accounts, which would effectively eliminate its ability to distribute its Unreal Engine to other developers.
Epic has been trying to get a temporary injection that would force Apple to reinstate Fornite and prevent it from terminating the developer accounts. In her initial ruling, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers refused to reinstate Fornite, saying the company chose to break its agreements with Apple, instead of abiding by them while challenging Apple in court.
It was this action that led many to believe Epic intentionally orchestrated the ban, since the company stood to lose nothing by leaving the status quo intact while pursuing legal action. Had Epic won, any judge would have retroactively awarded damages. Instead of waiting for that, however, Epic chose a course of action it knew would lead to a ban. That action did not seem to sit well with Judge Rogers.
“In my view you cannot have irreparable harm when you create a harm yourself,” she said in her ruling Monday, according to Courthouse News Service.
At the same time, however, she did grant a temporary injection against Apple removing Epic’s developer accounts. As Rogers pointed out, while Epic may have breached its contract with Apple in regard to Fortnite, it has not done so in regard to its Unreal Engine. As a result, it’s not fair to punish third-party developers by cutting off their access to one of the most popular gaming engines available.
“Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate against each other, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders,” she wrote.
It remains to be seen how Judge Rogers will rule on the case as a whole, but nothing less than the future of Apple’s App Store is at stake.
“Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, feels that Fortnite is large enough and scaled enough and that Apple needs Fortnite more than Fortnite needs Apple… and Google too for that matter,” says Alex Kruglov, CEO of pop.in. “Tim very intentionally wanted to get kicked out of the store. There is no other way to explain what they did so that they can make this very public and so they can have a lawsuit.”
Apple and Google Must Reduce The Tax On Developers
I definitely like the idea of challenging both the Apple store and the Google store in getting them to reduce the tax that they charge all of the developers. There are two potential issues here. Issue number one is that the tax is decided by Apple and Google and can be changed at any time. There is nothing that developers can do because there is no other place we can go to. There is no other way to get on the devices and a person usually has only one device.
Secondly, kind of similar to TicketMaster in the 90s, when Pearl Jam went against them, they control the entire ecosystem. This includes the ability to advertise within your store to get your app downloaded. I love Apple’s clean well-lit ecosystem. I love what they’ve built. But if there is a bigger player who has leverage who can help the rest of us run more successful and profitable businesses I am all for it.
Apple Needs Fortnite More Than Fortnite Needs Apple
Tim Sweeney (CEO of Epic Games) is doing this very deliberatively. There is no question about it. If you follow Tim on Twitter or just in general, you know that he has been on this campaign for quite some time, since before they started their own ecosystem. Epic has its own store and they let developers opt-in to their fee system where they charge 12 percent.
He feels that Fortnite is large enough and scaled enough and that Apple needs Fortnite more than Fortnite needs Apple… and Google too for that matter. Tim very intentionally wanted to get kicked out of the store. There is no other way to explain what they did so that they can make this very public and so they can have a lawsuit.
Apple Under Pressure To Reduce App Store Fees
Apple has been perceived as the good guy. Then on the other side with Google where with Facebook they are monopolistic given that they control essentially the entirety of the advertising system. So where do I think this ends up given the scrutiny that Apple is facing? I think that there is a very good chance that they will come back and reduce the fees and also opt-in to something firm as opposed to the set of rules that are all over the place.
This is a pretty inexpensive way for both Apple and Google to say they are listening (to developers). We’ve heard the developers and we are going to do the right thing. I’m predicting this but this is definitely not what they have done over the last decade.
Apple Needs Fortnite More Than Fortnite Needs Apple says Alex Kruglov, CEO of pop.in
“I think taking 30 percent from app developers is egregious,” says Alex Kantrowitz, publisher of the Big Technology newsletter. “It feels like protection money to me. As long as the company continues to rely on other people’s money to make its bottom line it’s going to turn slodgy, slow, bureaucratic, and I think it will eventually fall apart. Apple should back down because rent collecting is bad for its business long term.”
I don’t think it’s any accident that Epic went right after Apple’s brand which Apple has worked very hard to cultivate. Apple is a luxury product. What Epic is doing is trying to make this a battle for Apple where it says, do you want 30 percent of our revenue in the app store? Now you have to go from a company that everybody looks up to to a company that owns what it does, which is rent collects on the app store and takes 30 percent of our revenue.
That’s why Epic has had this public relations campaign ready to go. It’s why it spoke about Apple’s history in the lawsuit. It’s why this was so planned, one move after the other, to show the public that this is actually what Apple is. If Apple is going to take our money they better own what they’re doing.
Apple Taking 30 Percent From Developers Is Egregious
What do developers get from the 30 percent that they pay Apple in terms of the revenue that they hand over to stay on the app store? They get the right to exist, that’s one thing. They get quick payments, that’s another. What else are they getting and is that amount of money actually worth it? Would they be paying anybody else that amount of money unless that other person had a monopoly?
I don’t think it is worth it. I think 30 percent is egregious. It feels like protection money to me. Maybe we get somewhere in the 10 -15 percent range, that seems like the right amount for a developer to pay to Apple because Apple does provide some value. But the number right now is just totally out of whack and it exists because Apple has a monopoly on that store. It’s good that we are seeing somebody challenge what Apple’s doing.
Apple Is The Only Show In Town For Developers
Apple is basically the only show in town. If you don’t like what’s going on inside Walmart you go to your neighborhood store. If you don’t like what’s going inside the Apple app store where are you going to go? Maybe you can go to Google but Google is doing the same exact thing. I do think that Apple should definitely charge developers for what they’re getting.
The question is do developers have any wiggle room so that they can have an opportunity to negotiate with a company like Apple? What Epic is showing is that is not really the case. This is how markets (should) work. You want to have the ability for the supplier and the demander to figure out a price that makes sense versus the supplier just setting the price and your sort of out of the market otherwise.
Apple Will Eventually Fall Apart If It Doesn’t Back Down
Apple should back down because rent collecting is bad for its business long term. You have to decide as a business, do you want to make your money milking your asset or do you want to make your money innovating into the future? Right now Apple has decided that it wants to be a rent collector. It’s worked out fine under Tim Cook, I won’t deny that. If you think about Apples’ long term sustainability does it want to build a culture where it’s business is taking a fee off of other people’s businesses or does it want to force itself to invent its way into the future?
If I’m Apple I’m thinking long term. I want to have a more inventive culture, not a more asset milking culture. As long as the company continues to rely on other people’s money to make its bottom line it’s going to turn slodgy, slow, bureaucratic, and I think it will eventually fall apart. If I’m Apple, the case right here is to back down and think about where I’m going in the long term and it should be in an inventive way and not a rent seeking way.
Alex Kantrowitz of Big Technology: Apple Will Eventually Fall Apart If It Doesn’t Back Down
“The iPhone is not going away in the decade of the 2020s,” says former Apple CEO John Sculley. “In fact, if you look at the microprocessor technology that Apple has invested in, some people have estimated that by 2030 the iPhone will be a billion times more powerful than the original iPhone that Steve Jobs introduced.”
John Sculley, the former CEO of Apple, discusses the ‘long runway’ that he believes Apple has, predicting that Apple will be worth more than $2.5 trillion by 2025:
By 2030 The iPhone Will Be A Billion Times More Powerful
Service is really the biggest part of the story for Apple through this decade. I’ve seen estimates as high for services reaching $50 billion of profits by 2025. I look at it in terms of what are the things that Apple can control? One of them is the terrific technology that they now have with their vertical integration into the iPhone.
The iPhone is not going away in the decade of the 2020s. In fact, if you look at the microprocessor technology that Apple has invested in, some people have estimated that by 2030 the iPhone will be a billion times more powerful than the original iPhone that Steve Jobs introduced.
By 2025 Apple Will Have a $2.5 Trillion Market Cap
Think about what that means for services and the types of things you will be able to do. Think about when 5G is fully deployed around the world. Apple has a great runway ahead of them. It’s the most competent company in the world in terms of its ability to run operations and execute. Many people have said, why isn’t it more innovative? It actually is very innovative in the things that are important in building its ecosystem.
For example, the app library that Apple announced this year. It only makes it easier for people to add more apps and to be able to upgrade apps. That’s the engine of profitability for Apple – in the services, particularly the app store. I’m very bullish on Apple. I think they will hit a $2 trillion market cap before the end of this year. By 2025 we will be talking about will Apple hit $2.5 trillion. This is clearly a company that is in for a long run.
By 2030 The iPhone Will Be A Billion Times More Powerful, Says Former Apple CEO John Sculley
Apple has been on a hiring spree, bringing in some of the best cloud engineers money can buy.
While cloud computing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of the iPhone maker, the company has a large cloud presence. The App Store, Apple Music, iCloud Drive and file storage, as well as Apple TV+ are all part of the company’s cloud presence.
As Protocol reports, it’s unclear what the new hires are being brought on to tackle, although the sheer number and quality of the hires is impressive. According to Protocol, the list includes:
Michael Crosby, one of a handful of ex-Docker engineers to join Apple this year. “Michael is who we can thank for containers as they exist today. He was the powerhouse engineer behind all of it,” said a former colleague who asked to remain anonymous.
Arun Gupta, who joined Apple in February from AWS and is now leading Apple’s open-source efforts.
Maksym Pavlenko, another former AWS employee who worked on its managed container services such as AWS Fargate.
Francesc Campoy, an ex-Googler who will be working on Kubernetes for Apple.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has planned, and whether it is simply beefing up its existing services, or more directly going after mainstream cloud providers.
iPhone and iPad users may soon be receiving advertising via push notifications, according to Apple’s latest App Store review guidelines.
First reported by AppleInsider, the new guidelines will allow developers to push advertisements using push notifications, as long as the user has opted to allow it. The move comes as Apple is facing increasing scrutiny over what is perceived as an unfair advantage its own apps have over third-party developers.
Previously, third-party apps could be banned for pushing ads via notifications, but some of Apple’s own push notifications blur the line between information and advertising. As The Verge points out, there were also ambiguous cases, such as whether a retailer can push a notification to inform an existing user about an upcoming sale.
Opening the door to push notification ads at least provides a way for everyone to be on a level playing field, and ensures that the practice is fairly regulated. It will open up new avenues of communication between developers and customers, and help Apple answer critics regarding how it manages the App Store. Overall, it will likely end up being a win-win for everyone involved.
TikTok has launched Family Pairing, a new feature designed to give parents more control over their children’s accounts.
TikTok has quickly risen to become one of the most widely downloaded apps on either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The company’s meteoric rise has not been without controversy. The company has been accused of uploading data to Chinese servers without user consent, and has been banned by numerous government agencies over security concerns.
The company has promised to increase transparency and security measures in an effort to alleviate concerns. In its latest move, TikTok is working to help protect children and young people, by allowing parents to link their accounts to their children’s and have control over their settings.
“Today, we are advancing our commitment to building for the safety of our users by introducing Family Pairing, which allows parents and teens to customize their safety settings based on individual needs,” reads the statement. “Family Pairing enhances our suite of safety tools and complements our work to provide greater access to product features as users reach key milestones for digital literacy. It is part of our continued work toward providing parents better ability to guide their teen’s online experience while allowing time to educate about online safety and digital citizenship.”
Given its popularity, it’s good to see TikTok working to improve security and safety for children.
As people all over the world are locked down or under stay-at-home orders, the mobile app market is booming as people look for things to do and ways to stay connected.
According to data released by App Annie, mobile apps saw significant growth in Q1 2020, both in the time spent using them and the money being spent on them. The report found that “Google Play downloads grew 5% year over year to 22.5B, while iOS downloads grew 15% year over year to over 9B new downloads for the quarter. On Google Play non-gaming apps accounted for 55% of all downloads, while on iOS the figure was slightly higher at 65%.”
Similarly, when it comes to purchases, customers “spent over $23.4B through the app stores, the largest quarter ever in terms of consumer spend. There were also over 31B new app downloads, a 15% increase from Q4 2019.”
The report goes on to point out that there was a direct correlation between areas hit with the pandemic and surges in mobile app usage and purchases. The more countries required citizens to shelter-in-place, the more they turned to mobile apps.
The report, while not necessarily surprising or unexpected, is further evidence of the fundamental shift the computing industry has experienced toward mobile apps and services.
Apple has purchased popular weather app Dark Sky, according to Dark Sky’s blog.
Dark Sky quickly made a name for itself as “the most accurate source of hyperlocal weather information.” The app is loved by customers for giving “down-to the-minute forecasts…right where you’re standing,” giving it a significant advantage over many other apps on the market.
“Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple,” writes Adam Grossman on the company’s blog.
“Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.
“There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.”
As part of the deal, the iOS version of the app will continue to be available on the App Store, while the Android and Wear OS apps are no longer available and will shut down for existing users after July 1, 2020. Similarly, the API will continue to function through the end of 2021 but, in the meantime, the company is not accepting new signups.
Apple will likely use the acquisition to help improve its own weather app, which was originally powered by Yahoo and then more recently by The Weather Channel. Dark Sky should give the company a competitive advantage in weather apps, and will make a nice addition to the iOS ecosystem.
Apple has announced that developers can now include macOS versions of their apps as part of a universal purchase.
iOS users have enjoyed universal purchases for some time, paying once to have access to both an iPhone and iPad version of the same app. As Apple began separating tvOS, watchOS and iPadOS, developers could include a version of their app for each of the devices in a universal purchase. macOS, on the other hand, was not included. With Monday’s announcement, that finally changes.
“The macOS version of your app can now be included in a universal purchase, allowing customers to enjoy your app and in‑app purchases across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS by purchasing only once,” reads the announcement. “Get started by using a single bundle ID for your apps in Xcode and setting up your app record for universal purchase in App Store Connect.”
Apple’s announcement is good news for developers and customers alike, and provides a good way for developers to incentivize purchases.
Apple and Google are doing their part to combat misinformation and profiteering from the coronavirus, by limiting apps to those from reputable sources.
One of the biggest challenges related to the coronavirus is the spread of misinformation regarding it, as well as companies charging exorbitant prices for supplies. Social media platforms have already implemented rules designed to help slow the spread of misinformation, and now the companies controlling the two biggest mobile app stores are joining the effort.
According to CNBC, Apple and Google are cracking down on apps that are not from reputable sources. One developer was told by an Apple employee that only apps released by a health or government institution were being accepted on the App Store. Similarly, the Google Play Store has rules preventing apps that “capitalize on a natural disaster” or “atrocity” or that “profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims.”
While some developers are not happy with the rules, the two companies are in a tough spot as they try to balance the need to limit coronavirus misinformation, spam and profiteering, with the potential benefits of apps that could legitimately help individuals track the spread of the disease.
“Better late than never” goes the old saying. Of course, well over a decade late may be pushing it a bit. Craigslist doesn’t appear to have gotten the memo, however, as they have finally released an official iOS app—a full 11 years after the App Store debuted.
Craigslist Categories
Despite being late to the game, the app is #5 in the Shopping category at the time of writing, providing a small demonstration of the staying power of the classifieds site. The app offers all the basic functionality one would expect, including the ability to view ads, search items, post items for sale and manage an account.
The app offers several main categories, such as Community, For Sale, Gigs, Housing, Jobs, Resumes and Services, with each one having additional subcategories.
The Android version has not been officially released yet, but there is a beta version available.
Android has solidified its position as the dominant mobile operating system (OS) on the market in large part due to its open nature. Any company can license Android and install it on their hardware.
Similarly, the Google Play Store has enjoyed the reputation of being much easier to publish apps to than the Apple App Store. Unfortunately, that has resulted in a number of instances where malicious apps have slipped through the review process.
Now, in an effort to combat rogue apps, Google is launching Google Play Protect, a suite of services designed to protect Android phones. The company says the software “is always updating, and automatically takes action to keep your data and device safe, so you don’t have to lift a finger.”
Play Protect uses machine learning to identify new threats and will proactively remove them. The software also scans for bad behavior from existing apps, letting you know when one accesses data or services it shouldn’t.
Play Protect also includes features to help users whose phones are lost or stolen.
“To help in these times of need, we’re launching Find My Device as part of Google Play Protect. With Find My Device you can locate, ring, lock and erase your Android devices—phones, tablets, and even watches.”
Google’s announcement is a welcome one, and should be a significant security improvement for Android users around the world.
The KIMOJI app offers “access to 250+ exclusive emoji and sticker designs – along with an integrated QWERTY keyboard – all of which work with your favorite messaging apps: iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, email, and more.” Most of the emojis in the app are Kardashian-based.
We’ve documented Instagram’s (and its parent company Facebook’s) hatred of the female form for years. The company basically bans photos of female nipples, unless they are attached to a baby or on a sculpture.
Instagram’s actual, word-for-word policy on nudity says…
“We know that there are times when people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature, but for a variety of reasons, we don’t allow nudity on Instagram. This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks. It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding are allowed. Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too.”
Of course, people challenge this all the time and Instagram is always fighting to remove offending conduct. Plenty of celebrities are unhappy with Instagram’s ban on boobs, and even more everyday users are testing its boundaries with #freethenipple posts.
Why is Instagram so anti-nudity?
For the first time, its CEO kind of gave an answer to that. And by answer I mean he passed the buck.
Speaking recently at an event, Kevin Systrom said that it’s basically Apple’s fault that Instagram is so puritanical.
Systrom said at the event hosted by Dazed Media on Wednesday in Shoreditch, London, that Apple’s App Store has strict guidelines on the types of content allowed within apps, explicitly banning nudity unless the app is rated 17+. He went on to say that Instagram wants to appeal to as many users as possible, and gaining a higher age rating would prohibit younger users who want to view PG-13 content.
Despite the censorship, Instagram remains “committed to artistic freedom,” according to Systrom. He went on to say that “in order to scale effectively there are [some] tough calls.” For Instagram, banning some photos of female nipples is one of these tough calls.
Instagram is in a tough position when it comes to #FreeTheNipple. As Systrom pointed out, the internet hardly lacks pictures of female nipples, and viewing them on Instagram is not essential to the service.
While Systrom is 100% correct in painting Apple as the equivalent of Carrie’s mom ranting about dirty pillows, this answer is kind of a cop out.
Twitter is an app that is in no danger of being banned by Apple, yet it features nipple after nipple after nipple. Hardcore porn, too. Twitter’s a porn free-for-all.
It’s rated 4+.
Look, Systrom’s right – if you want to find nipples on the internet, you don’t need Instagram. But don’t blame it on Apple. Apple has dumb guidelines for app submissions, absolutely. But Instagram just surpassed 400 million users. It’s not going anywhere, no matter what kind of rating you slap on it. And it’s not like Apple’s going to rate Instagram mature for a relaxation of its nipple policy. Despite Apple’s laughable policies, there are still plenty of apps in the App Store that act as gateways to boobies.
Begley also runs the @Dronestream Twitter account, which pretty much does the same thing as his app. It was there he reported Apple’s decision to pull the app:
Apple’s incomprehensible disdain for this app actually goes back to 2012. Begley had problems getting Apple to approve his app, called Drones+ at the time.
“If the content is found to be objectionable, and it’s literally just an aggregation of news, I don’t know how to change that,” Begley said at the time.
Maybe a name change? That’s exactly what he did and last year, the Metadata+ app launched. It lasted for a while, before Apple yanked it on Sunday.
Apple’s always been rather puritanical with its app approval process – but that mostly has to do with the company’s inability to understand that adults might want to use apps with adult content.
But as Gawker points out, Apple has plenty of “crude” apps sitting in its App Store.
And a simple app that reports the news isn’t really one of them.
